By Jason Larson/TVCC Public Information
The packed parking lots and the crowded corridors can only mean one thing – classes are back in session at Trinity Valley Community College.
The Fall 2014 semester got off to a great start on Monday, with a little more than 3,200 students beginning classes on the Athens campus either on-site or via the Internet. The TVCC Terrell campus saw just under 2,100 students enroll, around 1,100 signed up in Palestine and the Health Science Center in Kaufman welcomed around 400 students.
“TVCC is looking forward to another great year. We welcome the new faculty and staff that have started with the new academic year,” said TVCC President Dr. Glendon Forgey, who is in his seventh year at the college. “The Athens campus students will see some changes, the most notable being a remodeling of the cafeteria with many more food selections. The Student Engagement area has many new activities planned to get students involved, as well.”
The campus kicked off Welcome Week with a two-day Plaza Party on the Athens campus. Lunch was served each day, several activity booths were available and a climbing wall and Bungee run were offered as part of the festivities. Students also received a Fall 2014 calendar of events for various activities planned throughout the semester.
“We’re excited about our Student Life this year,” TVCC Director of Student Engagement Blake Williamson said. “We’ve got a great group of students leading out. We’ve got weekly activities planned so students can get connected, develop friendships and have a great college experience while they’re here with us.”
Williamson said Student Life is planning to ramp up its efforts to promote various activities using social media via Facebook (Trinity Valley Student Life), Twitter (@TVCCStudentLife) and Instagram (tvcc student life). “We want students to have every opportunity to know what’s going on so they never miss an event,” he said.
Students also have a great opportunity to socialize as they cheer on TVCC’s fall sports teams. On Saturday, the Cardinal football team – ranked No. 4 in the nation – will take on Tyler Junior College in a 7 p.m. kickoff at Bruce Field in Athens. On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the Lady Cardinal volleyball team – which has started the season 5-0 and claimed a tournament championship along the way – opens the home portion of its schedule with a match against Tyler. That match will begin at 7 p.m. and will also be broadcast by the Cardinal Sports Network, which can be accessed at www.tvcc.edu.
TVCC Vice President of Instruction Jerry King said the college is welcoming 13 new faculty members for the Fall 2014 semester. All of those new faculty members are replacing faculty who have retired – with the exception of Keith Patton, who is a new welding teacher at the Palestine Workforce Center. King said the college has been proud to watch the welding program there grow, and administrators are anticipating much more growth in that area in the coming years.
King said new faculty orientation was held last week and led by Fine Arts chairperson Kelly Driskell and several other seasoned TVCC veteran faculty. The purpose of the new faculty orientation was to provide relevant and practical information about TVCC, faculty requirements and classroom procedures.
“Our new faculty are well-qualified, energetic and ready to go,” King said. “They will be great new faculty, as well as excellent TVCC employees.”
Students who dine on campus were treated to another improvement when they arrived back on campus to find a renovated cafeteria. “The Nest” – the new name for the cafeteria – offers upgrades in food quality, variety, service and facilities. In addition to the physical improvements, students now have nine different service options offering a variety of all-you-can-enjoy food and beverage choices.
“Our intent was to improve the quality and options of our dining services for our students and our community,” TVCC Vice President of Student Services Dr. Jay Kinzer said. “I think we have certainly done that.”
Further renovations are planned to the GrilleWorks inside the Student Union Building, where a Starbucks coffee bar and a convenience store will be added this semester.